Selective receiver for remote control systems



J I 'UBJILU [JR 2,381,499 I Search Room SELECTIVE RECEIVER FOR REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEMS Original Filed July 31, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l L2 ZBP L1 2 I .6 l APZZIZUPRJZZEIISTV;?. U E- y 5, BY aim F: I HIS ATTORNEY search Room Aug. 7, 1945. A. P. JACKEL 1,499

SELECTIVE RECEIVER FOR REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEMS Original Filed July 31, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M A c I a l l 6' :225 I 1 $25751 65 128 i a d I i 12/ :CI "T1 le; 6 L ifi i kgal 125 O I C ,.s f: 1

IF; la 1 1016 f L 6785' fl a a a WEI;- AmhurRJac'iiel Hg. 5. By hi i I HIS ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 7, 1945 UNITED Search Room STATES PATENT OFFICE SELECTIVE RECEIVER FOR REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEMS Arthur P. Jackel, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application July 31, 1943, Serial No.

Divided and this application September 15, 1944, Serial No. 554,199

9 Claims.

My invention relates to a selective receiver for remote control systems, and more particularly for centralized traflic control systems for railroads comprising an oflice and a plurality of stations connected by line wires over which impulse code signals are transmitted to effect the operation of traffic governing devices located along the trackway, and to indicate the condition of such devices at the ofi'ice.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 496,907, filed July 31, 1943, for Remote control systems.

The system of my invention is of the time code type, employing codes of long and short elements which are transmitted one at a time over a single line circuit, and is based upon the system shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,229,249, granted January 21, 1941, to L. V. Lewis, for Remote control systems.

The components of the system of my invention are preferably assembled in the form of coding and storage units each containing a group of relays. The system employs a station coding unit at each field location for transmitting indication codes and for selectively receiving control codes, together with a station storage unit for each unit group of controlled traific governing devices, for associating such devices with the station coding unit. The oflice equipment preferably includes an individual control panel for each unit group of controlled trafilc governing devices, and an oflice coding unit which is connected over the line circuit with the station coding units to establish communication selectively between each panel and the corresponding station storage unit.

The invention of the present application relates to improvements in the coding and storage units and associated apparatus at the field stations employed for the reception of the codes transmitted from the control oflice.

One feature of my invention is the provision of an improved station storage unit requiring fewer relays than heretofore, due to the provision of a pair of register relays which are operated alternately and repeatedly to register the character of a series of code elements, in place of a series of register relays, one for each element, as used heretofore.

Another feature of my invention relates to improved arrangements for associating additional station storage units with the same coding unit, reducing the number of relays required when the number of controlled devices at a location is larger than can be controlled and indicated by a single composite code. A limited number of storage units may be connected directly to the station coding unit, as heretofore, and in addition, auxiliary groups of selecting relays, designated pyramid units, may be interposed to afford connections for additional storage units, only one station coding unit being required at a location even though the munber of controlled devices is sufficient to absorb the entire capacity of the system.

Other features, purposes and objects of my invention will be pointed out as the description proceeds.

One form of apparatus embodying my invention and several modifications thereof will now be described and the novel features thereof will then be pointed out in claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates in condensed form the selecting receiving apparatus employed at each field location in one form of the remote control system of my invention, showing the station coding unit responsive to codes of impulses received by a line relay R from the control ofiice over a pair of line wires Y and Z, together with a storage unit controlled thereby arranged as required for the control of a single group of traflic governing devices. Figs. 2 and 3 show the pyramid units hereinbefore referred to, and illustrate two different arrangements which may be used when there are a plurality of groups of devices to be controlled by a single coding unit.

To facilitate tracing the circuits, two of the coding unit relays comprising a first selector relay FA and a group selector relay GA shown in Fig. l are also shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, since the circuits they control are arranged differently in the different views. It is to be understood that the storage unit proper includes a final selector relay S, selectively responsive to a distinctive code call comprising a first portion of a received code, a delivery relay D controlled thereby a group of polar stick control relays which are connected at times by relay D to terminals l .'9"l55 of the coding circuit and are thereby rendered responsive one at atime to impulses comprising a second portion of a received code. When the arrangements of Fig. 2 or Fig. 8 are used, pyramid units each including a first selector relay FB, FC, etc., and a group selector relay GB, G0, etc, are interposed between the coding units and the final selector relays S of the storage units, and the relays S in these views are identified by numerical prefixes each of which designates the code call to which the corresponding relay S is selectively responsive. The relay S of each storage unit in Fig. 2 or 3 controls a relay D, not shown, as in Fig. l by means of which a corresponding group of polar stick relays is placed under the control of the coding units.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

I shall now describe the selective receiver of my invention, considering first the arrangement comprising a coding unit which controls but one storage unit, arranged as in Fig. 1.

As explained in my prior application, Serial No. 496,907, each line relay R is normally energized over the line wires Y and Z by a source of current at the control office, to close its left hand contacts. The line relays R are of a biased polar type and operate to close their right hand contacts when deenergized.

As shown, each line relay R controls a group of slow release timing relays LI, L2, LP and LBP. These timing relays are normally deenergized and are controlled by relay R to govern the reception of codes in accordance with line conditions like the similarly designated relays of Patent No. 2,229,249, hereinbefore referred to. Their release times are likewise governed by electronic rectifiers, as shown, the rectifiers also serving to prevent contact sparking and to minimize contact wear, as explained in this patent. Certain of the relays shown herein, such as the relays FA, GA, and I6, are provided with a discharge circuit including a resistor in lieu of the usual rectifier. These resistors are of relatively high value in comparison with the resistance of the relay winding and provide less retardation but otherwise serve the same purpose as a rectifier.

The system of my invention is arranged to employ control codes each having sixteen steps, and in each control code delivered by the office transmitter the line circuit is open during each oddnumbered step and closed during each even-numbered step. Each step is made relatively short or long to provide code character, both the open and closed periods constituting code elements.

When the line circuit is opened to begin the first element of a code, each line relay R releases and its right-hand contact b completes a circuit from the positive or supply terminal B of a suitable local source of current over a back contact 11 of relay I6, back contact a of relay L2, back contact 9 of relay LBP through relay LI to the negative or common return terminal C of the source. Relay LI then picks up and its front contact a completes a circuit from terminal B at the right-hand contact b of relay R through relay L2 to terminal 0, so that relay L2 picks up, completing a stick circuit at its own front contact a and also completing a circuit from terminal B over front contacts of relays LI and L2 to pick up relay LP, which relay in turn completes circuits over its front contact a to pick up relays LB and LBP. Relay LBP becomes energized in tandem with relay LB when the latter closes its front contact a so that these relays release successively after relay LP is released. When relay L2 picks up on the first step of a code, its contacts a and g shift the connections of relay LI from the righthand to the left-hand contact b of relay R, and then contact 9 of relay LBP is picked up to maintain the latter connection until the code is terminated. It follows that relays LI and L2 are energized alternately, relay Ll over the left-hand contact b of relay R, and relay L2 over the righthand contact b of relay R, in response to the periodic operation of relay R. Relays LI and L2 remain picked up for the duration of short code elements, relay LI releasing during each oddnumbered long element and relay L2 during each even-numbered long element. These relays serve, therefore, to indicate code character in a received code. Relay LP serves as a repeater of relays LI and L2 to control relay LB. Relay LB and its repcater relay LBP are bridging relays which remain picked up for the duration of a code and serve to prepare various local circuits when the code operation of relay R begins and to open them when it ceases.

Each line relay R controls a chain of counting relays I to 8 and I6, over circuits generally similar to those of Patent No. 2,229,249. In response to the first of a series of operations of relay R, a pick up circuit for relay I is closed momentarily from terminal B at the right-hand contact a of relay R. over back contact e of relay I6, back contact b of relay LBP, front contact 9 of relay LI, through relay I to terminal C. Relay I therefore picks up on the first step of a code upon the energization of relay LI, and when relay LBP picks up, it opens the circuit just traced and closes a'stick circuit for relay I extending over front contact b of relay LBP, wire I I9, back contact b of relay 2, front contact a and winding of relay I to terminal C. When relay R is operated to normal to begin the second step of a code, terminal B is disconnected from relay I, which remains picked up due to the discharge path provided by the rectifier connected to wire H9, and a circuit is closed from the left-hand contact a of relay R over front contact d of relay LBP, wire I20, back contact a of relay 8, front contact b of relay I through relay 2 to terminal C. Relay 2 therefore picks up and completes its stick circuit extending to terminal B at wire I20 over its front contact a and back contact b of relay 3. The operation of contact b of relay 2 disconnects relay I from the rectifier but closes a second discharge path for relay I comprising the winding of relay 3, whereby relay I releases shortly after relay 2 picks up but without sparking at its contact a, the dropping of which connects relay 3 to wire II9 to condition that relay to respond to the third step of the code. Relays 4 to 8 are similarly controlled one at a time by current supplied alternately over wires H9 and I20 in response to the fourth to eighth steps of the code. If the various operations associated with these steps are properly carried out, a chain repeat relay CR is picked up on the eighth step, as hereinafter described to prepare a pick-up circuit for relay I over front contact b of relay 8 so that relay I will operate as the next in order after relay 8, relays I to 1 being then operated through a; second cycle on the ninth to fifteenth steps of the code, relay I6 responding in place of relay 8 on the sixteenth step, during which the apparatus is restored to its normal at rest condition.

A explained in my prior application, Serial No. 496,907, the line wires Y and Z are used for two-way transmission, that is, .to transmit indication codes from the stations to the omce, at times, and at other times to transmit control codes from the office to the stations, and to make the station receivers selectively responsive to those codes which originate at the office the first steps of each control code is made a long step to distinguish it from an indication code in which the first step is relatively short.

On the first step of a control code, a delivery control relay CD is selectively operated in response to the release of relay LI, due to the long character of the step, over 'a circuit extending from terminal B at front contact a of relay LBP, wire I60, back contact d of relay LI, back contact b of relay CR, front contact of relay I, through the upper winding of relay CD to terminal C. When relay CD picks up, it completes a stick circuit extending from terminal B at wire I00 over its contact a and lower winding to terminal C.

The second to eighth steps of each code may be arranged in any one of thirty-five different combinations of three long and four short steps to form station code calls, which are identified by three digit numbers in which the digits represent the long steps of the code call. Thus the code call assigned to the storage unit of Fig. 1 is the one identified by the number 234, in which the second, third and fourth steps of the code are long, and the fifth to eighth steps are short. The selection of the desired storage unit is effected by energizing a set of three selector relays FA, GA and S on the three long steps of the code call. These relays may be adjustably connected in the manner shown in Fig. 1 so that relay S will respond to any one of the thirty-five code calls, by connecting the relays FA, GA and S to those contacts I! of relays 2 to 8 which correspond to the digits of the code call. The circuits for the selector relays which respond on even-numbered steps extend from terminal B, at front contact a of relay LBP over wire I60, back contact of relay L2, back contact d of relay CR, front contact 11 of relay CD and thence over front contacts d of relays 2, 4, 0 and 8 to wires I22, I24, I20 and I28. As shown, a connection to wire I22 provides a circuit for energizing relay FA on the second step, relay FA having a stick circuit extending to terminal B at wire I60 over its own front contact a and a back contact 112. of relay GA. The circuits for the selector relays which respond on odd-numbered steps extend from wire terminal B at I60 over back contact if of relay Ll, back contact b of relay CR, front contact b of relay CD, and thence over front contacts d of relays 3, and 'I to wires I23, I25 and I21. As shown, a connection to wire I23 provides a circuit over contact I) of relay FA for energizing relay GA, the stick circuit for which extends to terminal B at wire I60 over its own front contact a and back contact a of relay S. Similarly, a connection to wire I24 provides a circuit over contact I) of relay GA for energizing relay S, the stick circuit for which is connected directly to terminal B at wire I60 over its own front contact a.

It is to be understood that the relays FA at the different locations may be connected to any of the wires I22 to I28, and the relays GA to any of the wires I23 to I21 below the one to which the associated relay FA is connected. It follows that when the code call is 234, those relays FA connected "to wire I22 will respond to the second long step, those relays FA and GA connected to wire I23 will respond to the third long step and those relays FA and GA connected to wire I24 will respond to the fourth long step along with relay S of the selected station storage unit, but that the selection will be completed to pick up a relay S at one location only.

At the selected station, relay S prepares a pickup circuit for relay CR completed on the eighth step. This circuit extends from terminal B at contact d of relay S, wire I46, contact I of relay 8, relay CR to terminal C, and when relay CR picks up, its front contact a completes its stick circuit extending to terminal B over wire I50.

Search Room Front contact 9 of relay CR completes the connection from wire I I9 over back contact a of relay I, and front contact I) of relay 8 for effecting the operation of relay I on the ninth step, and front contact h of relay CR completes a connection over back contact 9 of relay 8 for energizing relay I6 in place of relay 8, on the sixteenth step.

At the other locations the counting relay operations terminate with the eighth step and only the line relay R and the timing relays continue in operation through the remainder of the code.

The ninth to fifteenth steps of the control code are employed for the control of a series of control relays of the stick polar type, the character of these steps being determined in accordance with the positions of the corresponding ofiice levers, as explained in my prior application, Serial No. 496,907. Fig. 1 shows a typical arrangement of such relays including a switch control relay WS and signal control relays LI-IS, RHS and COS, which may be used to control a track switch and an associated group of signals in the manner described in connection with Figs. 8 and 9 of Patent No. 2,229,249. In the present system, however, the control code includes two additional steps providing for the control of two additional stick relays, such as the relays FS and MCS shown.

These polar stick relays are operated to normal or reverse by impulses supplied by the coding unit over wires I49 to I55, inclusive, and are placed under the control of the station coding unit by the operation of a delivery relay D. Relay D at the selected station is picked up when relay 8 releases on the ninth step of a control code, over a circuit extending from terminal B at contact c of relay CR, back contact e of relay 8, front contact 0 of relay CD, wire II5, front contact g of relay S through relay D to terminal C, and relay D when picked up remains energized until the end of the code.

Circuits suitable for operating the polar stick control relays in accordance with the long or short character of the ninth to fifteenth steps of the code are obtained by the operation of a pair of register relays PI and P2, the circuits for which are prepared by the closing of front contacts of relays CR and CD. If relay LI releases on any odd-numbered step of the group comprising steps 9 to I5, a circuit i closed from terminal B at contact a of relay LBP, wire I 60, back contact d of relay LI, front contact b of. relay CR, front contact h of relay CD, through the upper winding of relay PI to terminal C. When relay PI picks up, it is held energized for the duration of the next following even-numbered step during which relay R is in its normal position, as shown, over a stick circuit extending from terminal B at the left-hand contact a of relay R, front contact d of relay LBP and the front contact a and lower winding of relay PI to terminal C, relay PI releasing when the left-hand contact a of relay R is opened at the beginning of the next oddnumbered step. Similarly, if relay L2 releases on any one of the even-numbered steps I0, I2 or I4, relay P2 is energized over the circuit from terminal B at wire I60, back contact d of relay L2, front contact d of relay CR, contact 7 of relay CD, and the upper winding of relay P2 to terminal C. When relay P2 picks up, it is held energized for the duration of the next odd-numbered step, during which relay R is reversed over a stick circuit extending from terminal B at the right-hand contact a of relay R, back contact e of relay I6, front contact b of relay LBP and the front contact and lower winding of relay P2 to terminal C, relay P2 releasing when the right-hand contact a of relay R is opened at the beginning of the next odd-numbered step.

The circuits which the contacts of relays PI and P2 provide for the control of the polar stick relays are of a variety of types, one of which is illustrated by the circuits for relay WS. The ninth and eleventh steps of the code being described are controlled in accordance with the position of a switch lever at the office so that when the lever is normal, the ninth step of the control code is long and the eleventh step short, and when the lever is reversed, the ninth step is short and the eleventh step long. If the ninth step of the code is long and the eleventh is short, relay PI is picked up on the ninth step, and when relay R is operated to the left to begin the tenth step, its contact a connects terminal B to the stick circuit for relay PI to hold it picked up, and also connects terminal B to front contact b of relay PI to complete a circuit momentarily over wire III, contact e of relay I, wire I59, contact a of relay D through the upper winding of relay WS to terminal C at the front contact of relay LR, thereby operating the contacts of relay WS to their left-hand position as shown. Relay WS is thus energized in the normal direction in multiple with relay 2, by an impulse which is terminated upon the release of relay I. Relay PI is not operated on the eleventh step, and although at the beginning of the twelfth step wire III is connected momentarily over contact e of relay 3, wire I5I, contact 0 of relay D and the lower winding of relay WS to terminal C, relay WS is not energized because relay PI is in its released position in which wire III is disconnected from terminal B. Similarly, if the ninth step is short relay PI remains released and relay WS is not operated on the tenth step, and when the long eleventh step is reached relay PI picks up so that relay WS receives an impulse through its lower winding to operate it to reverse on the twelfth step.

Another type of control circuit is illustrated by the one for relay FS, which is controlled so as to be operated to normal or to reverse in accordance with the short or long character of a single code step. If the tenth step is short, relay P2 is in its released position when relay R is operated to the right to begin the eleventh step, and a circuit is then closed momentarily from terminal B at the right-hand contact a of relay R over back contact e of relay I8, front contact I) of relay LBP, lback contact b of relay P2, wire I56, through relay F8 to contact b of relay D, wire I50, contact e of relay 2, wire I I2, back contact c of relay P2, to terminal 0, so that relay FS is operated to the left. If the tenth step is long relay P2 is picked up and held energi ed by relay R for the duration of the eleventh step and its'contacts b and 0 reverse the direction of the flow of current through relay FS, and it will be operated to the right. The circuits for relays MSC and CO8 are similarly controlled by relay P2, and relays LHS and RHS by relay PI each by a momentary impulse at the beginning of the step following its assigned step, that is to say, following the step the character of which governs its operation.

In the foregoing two types of circuits for controlling polar stick relays are described. In the first typ as illustrated by the circuit for relay WS, the polar stick relay is energized only if the corresponding register relay PI or P2 is picke up in response to a long step, and is non-responsive if the step is short. In the second type, as illustrated by the circuit for relay PS, the polar stick relay is energized in one direction if the assigned step is long and in the opposite direction if that step is short. A third type is also available, and may "be obtained by connecting any of the relays to wire I58 or I59, leading to back contact a of relay P2 or PI, instead of to wire I56 or I 51. Assuming that relay TP is released, for example, the left hand terminals of relays LHS anld RHS are connected to wire I58 instead of to wire I51 and when the right hand terminal of relay LHS or RHS i connected to wire II I, the relay will be momentarily energized by relay R only if the assigned step is short so that relay PI remains released. It follows that when relay TP is released, relay LHS or RHS may be operated to normal by a short code step, but cannot be reversed by a long code step. It will be evident that any of the polar stick relays may be arranged to respond to a short step but to be non-responsive when the step is long, in a similar manner.

When the sixteenth step of the control code is reached, the line relays R remain steadily energized and the timing relays L at each station release in a prescribed order and likewise the relays I, I6, CR and S at the selected station, relay LI being the last to release. Relay CD is released by relay LBP along with relay CR and then relay D is released, placing the apparatus in its normal at rest condition ready to receive a new code.

In the foregoing it has been assumed that only one storage unit is associated with each coding unit as indicated in Fig. 1. It is the usual practice to include one storage unit in the case containing the station coding unit since at least one is always required, and to provide terminals for connecting to the coding unit one or more auxiliary storage units each comprising a suitable housing containing a selector relay S and a delivery relay D, when the number of devices to be controlled or indicated exceeds the capacity of one storage unit, and to identify similar relays one from another by prefixing the code call numbers to the designation of the storage unit relays. For example, relay S of Fig. 1 responds selectively to the code call 234, and may be designated 2348. The relays S of four auxiliary storage units designated 2358 to 2388 may then be connected to contacts c to .f of relay GA, as shown in Fig. 2. In this case, a back contact of each of the relays 234$ to 2388 is included in the stick circuit for relay GA so that relay GA will be released in response to the operation of a relay S by the last digit of any of the code calls 234 to 23! as required.

When a coding unit controls more than one storage unit, the remaining connections to each added storage unit are arranged like those of the one shown in Fig. 1; that Is to say, the wires II5, I46 and I49 to I60, inclusive, leading to the station coding unit, are bus wires connected to correspondingly numbered terminals of each of the storage units in turn.

When one or more auxiliary storage units are connected directly to the station coding unit as above described, relay FA may be controlled on any of the steps two to five, and relay GA on any of the steps three to six which follow the one to which relay FA is assigned, as indicated conventionally in Fig. 1. It will be readily apparent that the total number of storage units which may be controlled directly by one coding unit is limited to a single group 01' from one to five, using code calls which differ only in respect to the third digit, there being fifteen such groups as follows:

Fig. 2 shows a second arrangement; in which one or more pyramid units each including a pair of relays such as the relays FE and GB are interposed between the coding unit and additional groups of storage units using code calls all of which have the same first digit. In this second arrangement, the circuits are arranged so that the energization of relay FA completes a connection from terminal B at its front contact for energizing the relays F3, F0, FD and FE oi the pyramid units on the same step, and a front contact a of each of the relays F3 to FE and a back contact m of each of the pyramid unit relays GB to GE, inclusive, is interposed in the stick circuit for relay FA, the circuits controlled by the pyramid unit relays being in other respects similar to those controlled by relays FA and GA as hereinbefore described.

In Fig. 2, relay FA may be controlled on any of the steps two to five, and relay GA on any of the steps three to seven which follow th one to which relay FA is assigned, as in Fig. 1, and one or more additional relays GB, G0, etc., may be controlled on the succeeding steps of the group three to seven. As shown, relay GB is connected over contact b of relay F3 to wire I 24 for operation on step four, and controls a group of S relays using the code calls 245 to 248. The relays GC, GD and GE, as shown, are similarly connected over contacts b of their respective relays FC, FD and FE to wires I25 to I21 for operation on steps five to seven to control other groups of S relays using the code calls 256 to 258, 261 and 268, and 218, respectively.

It will be seen that when any group of code calls in the above table is selected for use by relays FA and GA, the arrangement of Fig. 2 provides for the use by the same coding unit of those groups which are below the one selected in the same vertical column.

Fig. 3 shows a third arrangement in which the capacity of the coding unit is expanded in a different way to enable code calls having difierent first digits to be used. In this arrangement one of the pyramid units includes an entry relay EB, which is connected to terminal I2I of the coding unit and is picked up on the first step of the code over a circuit which may be traced from terminal B at contact a of relay LBP, Fig. 1, wire I60, back contact a of relay CR, contact d of relay I, wire HI, and thence in Fig. 3 through relay EB to terminal C. Relay EB is held energized over a stick circuit which extends to terminal B at wire I60 over a back contact at of each of the relays FA to FE, inclusive. This stick circuit is opened to release relay EB when any of the F relays picks up in response to the first digit of a code call.

In Fig. 3, relays FA and GA are arranged as in Fig. 2, for the control of a group of storage units having the code calls 234-238. Relays FB, FC, FD and FE are connected over contacts 12 to e of relay EB to wires I23-I26 for operation on steps three to six, respectively, while relays GB to GE are connected in the same manner as in Fig, 2 for operation on steps four to seven, respectively.

Search Room It will be seen that the arrangement 01 Fig. 3 provides for the use by the same coding unit 01' all of the groups of code calls which in the table are at the right of the group selected for use by relays FA and GA, in the same horizontal row. Moreover, each of the relays FB, FC and FD in Fig. 3 may control the relays F of additional pyramid units on the same step over its contact 0 like relay FA in Fig. 2. In other words, the arrangements of Figs. 2 and 3 may both be used at the same time, in which case all of the groups of code calls at the right or below the group used by relays FA and GA become available, and when relays FA and GA control the first group, as shown, all of the thirty-five code calls may be used by the one coding unit.

Although I have herein shown and described but one form of my invention and several modifications thereof, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a remote control system, a line relay operable alternately to a normal and to a reverse position for selected time intervals, two register relays, two timing relays controlled by said line relay, one of which is adapted to release if the line relay remains in its reverse position and the other to release it the line relay remains in its normal position for more than a predetermined time interval, pick-up and stick circuits for one register relay closed in response to the operation of said line relay to reverse and to normal, respectively, said pick-up circuit including a back contact of said one timing relay, and said stick circuit including a normal contact of the line relay, pick-up and stick circuits for the other register relay closed in response to the operation of said line relay to normal and to reverse, respectively, said pick-up circuit including a back contact of the other timing relay, and said stick circuit including a reverse contact of the line relay, a series of relays of the stick polar type, and circuits for energizing said polar relays one at a time in response to successive operations of said line relay, the circuits for alternate relays of said series including pole changing contacts of said one register relay and a normal contact of the line relay, those for the intervening relays 01' the series including pole changing contacts of the other register relay and a reverse contact of the line relay.

2. In a remote control system, a two position line relay operable to opposite positions in response to the successive steps of a code of relatively short or long code elements, timing contacts adapted to close only during said long elements, two register relays one for each position of said line relay, pick-up circuits for said register relays closed only when the line relay is receiving a long code element, the pick-up circuit for one register relay including a timing contact closed only when the line relay is reversed and the other including a timing contact closed only when the line relay is normal, stick circuits for said register relays including their own front contacts, the stick circuit for said one register relay including a normal contact and that for the other including a reverse contact of said line relay, a series of relays of the stick polar type, and circuits for energizing said polar relays in 8. normal or reverse direction one at a time in order 5.1 ees:

in response to successive operations of said line relay, the circuits for alternate relays of the series including contacts of said one register relay and a normal contact of said line relay, and those for the intervening relays of the series including contacts of the other register relay and a reverse contact of the line relay.

3. In a remote control system, a line relay operable alternately to a. normal and to a, reverse position for selected time intervals in response to code elements of different characters, two timing relays one for each position of the line relay, means comprising a, normal contact of the line relay for energizing one timing relay, means comprising a reverse contact of the line relay for energizing the other timing relay, two stick register relays one for each timing relay, a, pick-up circuit for each register relay including contacts of the associated timing relay and closed by such timing rela when the line relay remains for a predetermined time interval in the corresponding one of said two positions, a stick circuit for each register relay including its own front contact and a contact of said line relay closed when the line relay moves to a position to energize such timing relay andto open the pick-up circuit for such register relay, a chain of counting relays, circuits for energizing said counting relays successively in response to the operation of the line relay to said two positions, a series of relays of the stick polar type including one for each of a plurality of said counting relays, and a circuit for energizing each polar relay in a normal or a reverse direction, each such circuit including a front contact of the corresponding counting relay and a front or back contact of that one of the two register relays the position of which indicates the character of the last preceding code element.

4. In a remote control system, a two position line relay operable to opposite positions in response to successive code elements, two register relays one for each position of the line relay, a pick-up circuit for each register relay controlled by the line relay and closed only if the line relay remains in the corresponding position for more than a predetermined time interval, a storage relay controlled by each register relay, 8. stick circuit for each register relay including its own front contact and a contact closed by the line relay when said line relay is in a, position to pick up the other register relay, and a circuit for operating each storage relay to a normal or reverse position in accordance with the position of the corresponding register relay each including contacts of such register relay and a contact closed by the line relay when said line relay is operated to its opposite position to control the other register relay.

5. In a remote control system, a two position line relay arranged to be energized and deenergized for selected time intervals, two slow release relays one controlled by a front contact and the other by a back contact of said line relay, two stick relays, one having a pick-up circuit including back contacts of said one slow release relay and a stick circuit including a front contact of the line relay, the other stick relay having a pickup circuit including a back contact of said other slow release relay and a stick circuit including a back contact of the line relay, two storage relays ofv the polar stick type, a circuit for one storage relay including pole changer contacts on said one register relay and a front contact of said line relay, and a circuit for the other storage relay including pole changer contacts on the other register relay and a back contact of said line relay.

6. In a remote control system, a line relay operable alternately to a normal and to a reverse position for selected time intervals, two register relays, two timing relays controlled by said line relay and adapted to release if the line relay remains in its normal or reverse position respectively for more than a predetermined time interval, pick-up and stick circuits for one register relay closed in response to the operation of said line relay to reverse and to normal, respectively, said pick-u circuit also including a back contact of said one timing relay, pickup and stick circuits for the other register relay closed in response to the operation of said line relay to normal and to reverse, respectively, said pick-up circuit including a back contact of the other timing relay, 2. series of relays of the stick polar type, a series of circuits including adjustable connections over which said polar relays are energized one at a time in response to successive operations of said line relay, the circuits for alternate relays of said series including contacts of one register relay and a normal contact of the line relay and those for the intervening relays of said series including contacts of the other register relay and a reverse contact of the line relay, and means including said adjustable connections for rendering said circuits effective to operate one polar relay only when the corresponding register relay is in one of its two positions and to operate another polar relay in one direction if such register relay is picked up and in the opposite direction if such register relay is released.

7. In a remote control system, a code receiver comprising a series of counting relays having contacts closed one at a time in sequence to count the successive steps of a code, a plurality of series of selector relays each series having a different final selector relay, an entry relay, a pick-up circuit for the entry relay controlled over a front contact of the first counting relay of the series, pick-up circuits or the first selector relay of each series each including a front contact of said entry relay and a front contact of a different one of said counting relays, a stick circuit for the entry relay including back contacts of all said first selector relays, a pick-up circuit for each remaining selector relay of each series of relays each such circuit including a front contact of the next preceding selector relay of the same series and a front contact of one of said counting relays, and a stick circuit for each such relay except the final selector relay of a series including a, back contact of the next succeeding selector relay of the same series.

8. In a remote control system, a coding unit and a. plurality of groups of storage units, a final selector relay in each storage unit for controlling its operation, a first selector relay and a group selector relay for each group of storage units, a series of contacts in said coding unit closed one at a time in response to successive elements of a code, circuits for operating all of said first selector relays when a selected one of said contacts is closed, a circuit prepared by each operated first selector relay for conditioning the associated group selector relay for operation each such relay being operable when a different one of said contacts is closed, means responsive to the operation of a selected one of said group selector relays for releasing all the first selector relays and for conditioning the final selector relays of the corresponding group for operation gangsta.

each in response to the closing of a different one of the succeeding contacts of said series.

9. In a remote control system, code receiving apparatus responsive to code elements of which selected ones have a particular character, comprising a coding unit including a series of contacts, one for each code element, together with means for closing said contacts one at a time in order as the code elements are successively received, a plurality of series of selector relays controlled by said coding unit, the different relays of each series being adapted for energization over different ones of said contacts, means for energizing the first selector relays of all said series Search Hoom when a particular one of said contacts is closed provided the corresponding code element is of said particular character, means for energizing a second selector relay of a particular series in response to the subsequent closing of another of said contacts if the corresponding code element is of said particular character, and means controlled by the energized second selector relay for rendering the succeeding contacts of the series available for the energization of the next selector relay of the same series but not for the energization of any relay of a different series.

ARTHUR P. JACKEL. 

